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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24464170">Pride Month</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyndakip/pseuds/cyndakip'>cyndakip</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nuzlockes [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Gen, Multi, Nuzlocke Challenge, pride month</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:15:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,786</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24464170</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyndakip/pseuds/cyndakip</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of short pieces written for Pride Month Create-a-thons on the Nuzlocke Forums! These are all set in my Nuzlocke universe, and some more so than others can be enjoyed without any previous context.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Erika/Kasumi | Misty, Hikari | Dawn/Jun | Barry/Kouki | Lucas, Mew &amp; Mewtwo (Pokemon), Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nuzlockes [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767037</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Misty/Erika</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The first two pieces were written last year for Pride 2019, and the rest are from <a href="https://nuzlockeforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/pride-2020-create-a-thon.19517/">this year's Pride Create-a-thon</a> on the forum. Be sure to check out the thread for some excellent content from a bunch of other people!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Misty and Erika get to know each other.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My first Pride piece from 2019! I wanted to write something for Misty and Erika because they barely had any screen time together in The Scientist. I'd like to think I've improved a lot since I wrote this, but I do still like this glimpse at how their relationship began.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first time Misty visits Erika, it's because she's just landed the job of Cerulean’s new gym leader, and she might as well start with getting to know the most beautiful of her new coworkers, right?<br/>
 <br/>
She's not expecting Erika herself to answer when she knocks on the door of the Celadon gym, so Misty's already flustered as soon as the door opens and she's greeted with that gentle smile.<br/>
 <br/>
“Ah, hello, I was just, um, wondering if--” Misty cringes. She's always prided herself on being <em>cool</em>, but apparently Erika’s presence makes her forget how words work.<br/>
 <br/>
“If you could come in for a visit? Certainly.” Erika turns and seems to glide away into the gym, leaving Misty’s flip-flops to ungracefully slap across the floor behind her.<br/>
 <br/>
“I thought we could... battle, maybe? You could show me some of your strategies, so I can get better at fighting grass-type challengers?” She cringes again. <em>Great, now she's going to think I don't know how to fight grass types at all! What am I doing?</em><br/>
 <br/>
But Erika keeps smiling. “Yes, I'd like that.”<br/>
 <br/>
“Oh! Well, that's great, then.”<br/>
 <br/>
Misty's never fought Erika before, since she did her own challenge back when Celadon’s gym leader was still that asshole guy with the Vileplume. Nearly killed her Starmie, and of course, everyone knows what ended up happening with that Vileplume later...<br/>
 <br/>
Erika couldn’t possibly be any more different, though. She’s the perfect picture of calm elegance on the other end of the battlefield, and as both of them send out their Pokemon, Misty's nerves completely fade away. She might not be great at talking to cute girls, but battling? That, she can do.<br/>
 <br/>
This is going to be <em>fun.</em><br/>
 </p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>***</p>
</div><p> <br/>
<br/>
The second time Misty visits Erika, she doesn't need to knock on the door. Erika’s out in the sun, tending to the gigantic garden that always seems to draw more attention than the gym itself.<br/>
 <br/>
Erika doesn't seem surprised to see her there, and Misty isn't sure if that's a good thing or not. “Did you come for another battle? I'm afraid I have too much work to do out here today.”<br/>
 <br/>
“That's okay. I don't mind just looking at the flowers. They're... pretty.” <em>The flowers are pretty? Is that really the best I could come up with?</em><br/>
 <br/>
But Erika's face lights up. “Thank you! This garden is my pride and joy. It always means a lot to see people appreciating it. Do you have a favorite flower?”<br/>
 <br/>
Misty’s never really given flowers much of a thought. She doesn't dare say <em>you</em>, so she looks around in a bit of a panic before her eyes come to rest on a nearby fountain. Soft pink-white flowers drift on the water’s surface.<br/>
 <br/>
“Those ones,” she says, pointing.<br/>
 <br/>
Erika laughs, a soft gentle sound. “Water lilies? Of course. A lovely choice.”<br/>
 <br/>
“What's <em>your</em> favorite?”<br/>
 <br/>
“Oh, I couldn't <em>possibly</em> decide. I'd have to show you all of them.”<br/>
 <br/>
“I have time.” Time that should be spent preparing for the day her gym opens (which is <em>tomorrow</em>), but who cares?<br/>
 <br/>
Erika’s smile becomes just a little bit wider as she holds out her arm. “Come with me, then.”<br/>
<br/>
 </p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>***</p>
</div><p> <br/>
 <br/>
The third time Misty visits Erika, the gym is crowded.<br/>
 <br/>
“Your challengers aren't keeping you busy enough?” Erika asks, raising an eyebrow.<br/>
 <br/>
“It's my day off.”<br/>
 <br/>
“Well, I'm afraid I can't say the same.” She gestures to the group of trainers clustered into her waiting room.<br/>
 <br/>
Misty shrugs. “So I’ll watch you fight them, maybe pick up on some cool strategies. There's always more to be learned.”<br/>
 <br/>
“An admirable attitude for a gym leader to have. Unfortunately, some seem to think they know everything already.”<br/>
 <br/>
“You're talking about Sabrina, aren't you?” Misty grins. “Someone should tell her that psychic powers don't automatically make her smarter than everyone else.”<br/>
 <br/>
“I'll leave that to you, although I don't believe it would be a wise thing for you to do.” Erika turns towards the battlefield. “I suggest you stay and watch me, instead.”<br/>
 <br/>
And so she does.<br/>
 <br/>
 </p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>***</p>
</div><p> <br/>
 <br/>
The fourth time, it's Erika who visits Misty.<br/>
 <br/>
Misty's <em>not expecting this</em>, so when her secretary opens the door and tells her she has a visitor, she nearly chokes on a mouthful of pool water. But drowning in front of Erika would be decidedly uncool, so she rests an arm on the edge of the pool and tries to look as cool as possible.<br/>
 <br/>
“Care to join me?”<br/>
 <br/>
“I'm afraid I did not bring a bathing suit.” This time, it's <em>Erika</em> who looks flustered. “I was told you were training in here, but…”<br/>
 <br/>
“Hey, it's not just Pokemon who need training. Gotta stay in shape.” Misty grins.<br/>
 <br/>
“Yes, well. Maybe I should come back another time?” Erika takes an uncertain step backwards.<br/>
 <br/>
“You should,” Misty agrees. “But first, you should stay and watch me.”<br/>
 <br/>
And so she does. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Mew & Mewtwo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Two nonbinary psychic cat gods talk about stuff in a cave.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And my other pride piece from 2019! I had to do something for these two, because I love them and it's a tragedy that they only ever got one scene together in The Scientist. I'm still quite fond of this one.</p>
<p>(It is a bit spoilery, I guess.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mewtwo’s life has become a tedious cycle.<br/><br/>Talk to Blaine. Help with construction. Get stared at by all the islanders. Go sit in one of the many caves where they won't stare at you. Repeat. It beats being experimented on in a lab, but it's not exactly <em>enjoyable</em>.<br/><br/>They're currently in the “sit in a cave” part of the cycle when the visitor shows up, unwelcome as always.<br/><br/><em>Hiding in a cave again? </em>Mew says with a disapproving frown as they peek into the entrance.<br/><br/><em>I am merely resting. Rebuilding a community is hard work.</em>  Not as hard as suppressing their annoyance, though. <br/><br/>Mew floats further into the cave, examining the rock walls curiously. <em>How's the rebuilding going, anyway?</em><br/><br/><em>It is a slow process. I do not suppose you came to help?</em><br/><br/><em>Not my responsibility! I can't solve all your problems for you.</em><br/><br/><em>You have yet to solve any of them, </em>Mewtwo points out.<br/><br/>Mew shrugs. <em>Again, not my responsibility. I'm not the one who destroyed an entire island.</em><br/><br/>Mewtwo’s aura flickers with anger, a brief lapse of control. <em>I am aware of that. Do you think I can forgive myself for what I have done? Do you think the islanders have forgiven me? No amount of helping can bring back what I took from them.</em><br/><br/><em>Some of them have. Give the others time. </em><br/><br/><em>That is easy for you to say. I do not believe anyone has ever been so angry at you.</em><br/><br/>Mew pauses for a moment, as if they're genuinely thinking it over, then grins. <em>Nope! I'm pretty much universally beloved. Well, by mortals at least. Arceus isn't exactly my biggest fan. And there was that one time with--</em><br/><br/><em>Spare me the stories,</em> Mewtwo cuts them off. <em>At least you have never had an entire island worth of people mad at you.</em><br/><br/><em>They'll warm up to you,</em> Mew promises. <em>They just don't understand you yet.</em><br/><br/>Mewtwo lashes their tail in frustration. <em>They certainly do not. They view me as a monster, not a god. Even the ones who do not hate me know nothing about me. Some of them call me “he”. I do not know why they think I am male.</em><br/><br/><em>Humans are weird like that,</em> Mew says sympathetically. <em>They like assigning genders to everyone. Fortunately for me, I am all the genders. All of them.</em><br/><br/><em>I admit I do not understand this concept of “gender” at all. I do not see why it is necessary.</em><br/><br/><em>So you're like the opposite of me, huh?</em> Mew tilts their head curiously. <em>Guess they forgot to include gender when they cloned me. Seems like a bit of an oversight.</em><br/><br/>Mewtwo frowns. <em>That is not how cloning works.</em><br/><br/><em>Guess they forgot to clone my sense of humor, too.</em><br/><br/><em>For which I am very grateful, as it is terrible. </em><br/><br/>Mew cracks a smile. <em>Hey, that was almost funny! Maybe you're not so hopeless after all. You could win over the islanders by doing a comedy routine!</em><br/><br/><em>I believe I shall stick to helping with construction,</em> Mewtwo says firmly.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Someone: are you a boy or a girl?<br/>Mew: Yes<br/>Mewtwo: No</p>
<p>... I love my psychic cat god children.</p>
<p>Stay tuned for some brand-new Pride pieces coming very soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Laurel/Maren</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Reminder that this year's <a href="https://nuzlockeforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/pride-2020-create-a-thon.19517/">Pride Month Create-a-thon</a> is now underway! People have posted some great stuff already, so be sure to check it out!</p>
<p>And here's the first of my new pieces! I wanted to write something for Laurel and Maren, because I haven't done anything focusing on either of them for quite a while. So long, in fact, that I had some trouble writing this! I'm not 100% happy with it, but I figured it's about time I posted something anyway. Takes place not long after the ending of The Scientist. (No huge spoilers here, though)</p>
<p>CW for references to past abuse/trauma, although I think it’s fairly vague for the most part.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>“Hydro Pump!” The man's voice is sharp and commanding, and she flinches away as it cuts into her. This is wrong, it's all wrong, she's not supposed to be here, not supposed to be fighting for these people --<br/><br/>“What are you waiting for? Do it!”<br/><br/>She tries, she really does, but she can't summon the water to her, it's all gone somewhere she can't reach, and the more she tries the more she feels like she might just crack and dissolve into dust, dry as the desert sand…<br/><br/>“Do it, Maren!”<br/><br/>“...Maren…”</em><br/><br/>“MAREN!”<br/><br/>She wakes with a start, gasping, floating on --<br/><br/>Water. There's water around her after all, steady and comforting, and Laurel’s voice is calling to her, so this must be... the tank in Saffron’s Pokemon Center?<br/><br/>No. Pallet. This is Pallet Town. This is on the coast, in the open waves, with her friends nearby in one direction and her family farther away to the other, but always there. This is <em>safe</em>.<br/><br/>She looks and finds Laurel on the shore, more distant than she expected the shore to be. Had she really managed to drift so far in her sleep? With a swift motion of her flippers, Maren turns and starts to propel herself back, covering the distance quickly.<br/><br/>“Are you all right?” Laurel calls out to her.<br/><br/>“Fine. Just nightmares.”<br/><br/>“Do you want to talk about it?”<br/><br/>“...No.” She's already doing her best to put it from her mind. That was all... well, not a long time ago, but it feels like it was, feels like it was some distant lifetime that didn't really belong to her, because now she’s far away from there, and things couldn't be more different.<br/><br/>The Venusaur nods, understanding, but Maren’s more than close enough now to see that she doesn't look happy.<br/><br/>“I'm <em>fine</em>,” Maren insists.<br/><br/>“Yes, but what if you’d drifted all the way out to sea in your sleep and nobody was around to notice?”<br/><br/>“Oh, I wouldn't worry about that,” the Lapras says, surprised. “Even if it did happen, I could handle it. You know how far I can swim.”<br/><br/>“But <em>I</em> would worry,” Laurel says, eyes wide, as if she’s shocked it needs to be said at all -- and of course, how could Maren not think of that? Laurel takes her role as team leader very seriously. She’s only grown more protective and vigilant since they've settled into Pallet, as if she doesn’t quite know how to lead a team when the team is scattered all over, as if the remaining members might disappear if she so much as turns her head (and considering the involvement of a certain god, that's actually quite plausible).<br/><br/>And if Laurel is extra committed to making sure that Maren, specifically, is safe, and is willing to break that usual calm image to admit those worries to her, specifically... well, it says a lot.<br/><br/>“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry. I'm sure it must seem strange to you, the idea of sleeping on the open water. But I've missed it so much.” <em>Missed</em> isn't even nearly the right word to describe it. Maren would have died if she couldn't have this, and she almost did.<br/><br/>“No, I understand!” Laurel says quickly. “Of course I do. It's just... you seem so far away, sometimes.” She casts her eyes down to the sand, as if it's become too difficult to watch the waves.<br/><br/>“That's how I feel, sometimes,” Maren admits. “Like my mind starts floating away no matter where I am. But you help keep me from drifting too far, so I'm glad to always have you as my anchor.”<br/><br/>Laurel looks back up, that radiant smile of hers finally starting to return. “That… that means a lot. It really does. You know I'm here for you, anytime you need me.”<br/><br/>“And I'm here for you too,” Maren promises, smiling back as she finally reaches the shore. “As much as I love the ocean, I don’t want to spend <em>all</em> my time out there. I’ve learned that the land can have plenty of appeal, after all.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Someday I will get good at writing endings to pieces. Today is not that day! Overall I think this turned out okay, though.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Barry/Dawn/Lucas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lucas pines in a pine forest.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Have I mentioned that my upcoming Platinum run is pretty much going to be a poly love story? No? Well, it is, or at least it eventually will be if these dorks ever figure out how to deal with their feelings, and if I ever figure out how to write romance. Until then, here's this short piece that’s mostly pining and awkwardness!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lucas is sitting quietly on the grass, observing a colony of Combee. At least, this would be an easy assumption to make -- his eyes are following them, and the notebook balanced on his knees is full of hexagonal sketches and notes scribbled in the margins.<br/><br/>His mind, however, is elsewhere. Specifically, it’s on the other side of the trees, where he can hear the shouts and laughter from Barry and Dawn’s training. He knows the rest of him could be over there too, could sit and watch and give them advice, but really, at this point, they don't need him. Besides, he promised Professor Rowan he would do some actual research while he was away, and he knows the Professor’s idea of research does not include staring at one’s travelling companions a bit too long.<br/><br/>Unfortunately for Lucas, he can't seem to get either of them out of his head even when they’re not around to stare at.<br/><br/><em>Why did I sign up for this?</em> he laments, pencilling out yet another hexagon as a Combee alights on a nearby clump of flowers. <em>Why didn't I just stay home in Sandgem where life is boring but safe and there aren't any people like them to distract me?</em><br/><br/>Lucas has come to the conclusion that he’s probably cursed. Two people show up, go out of their way to do something nice for him -- and, really, how much of that was even about him, it's not like they didn't desperately want those starters -- and that's all it takes to make him fall for them both hopelessly and follow them all over Sinnoh? Really?<br/><br/>Barry has a natural tendency to draw people in like that, though. He's a wild whirlwind of a boy, the sort that barges uninvited through the doorway of your life and sweeps you off your feet. Caught up in his current, Dawn follows him everywhere, followed him all the way out here too, and it's not hard to see why. And that's all part of the problem, because those two have been dancing around each other for their entire <em>lives</em>, and what right does Lucas have to intrude on that? The way Barry looks at Dawn, as if she’s the only thing worth slowing down for just so he can try to take in everything that she is, and the way she always smiles her soft smile back at him... Lucas can't imagine either of them ever looking at <em>him</em> that way.<br/><br/>Dawn... if Barry is a whirlwind, Dawn is a tree, gentle and steady and unyielding, bending towards Barry but never straying from her roots.<br/><br/>...No, wait, that doesn't make sense, he's just thought about Dawn following Barry everywhere, and trees don't move. Unless you count Sudowoodo, but they only<em> look </em>like trees, and -- okay, this is getting out of hand. Lucas frowns and scribbles something vaguely hexagon-shaped in the notebook, not bothering to care how it looks at this point. Why is he even trying to do metaphors? He's a scientist, not a poet.<br/><br/>He can't help but wonder, though... if Barry is a whirlwind and Dawn is a tree, what does that make him?<br/><br/><em>Probably an awkward volcano somewhere in the distance, spouting a torrent of words that everyone's trying to avoid getting buried in,</em> he decides ruefully. Tossing the notebook aside (lightly, so as not to disturb the Combee), he pulls out his phone.<br/><br/>Lucas stares at the screen for a while, but can't bring himself to search something embarrassing like<em> what do you do when you have feelings for two of your closest friends but they love each other more?</em> If the internet has any answers for that very specific question, they're probably all “just tell them! what's the worst that could happen?” He's not even sure he <em>wants</em> answers so much as he wants to stop feeling all these feelings, but <em>how to delete your feelings</em> probably won't yield any helpful results, either.<br/><br/>(Okay, what he <em>really</em> wants is them to feel these feelings for him too, but come on, as if.)<br/><br/>It would be nice if he had someone to talk to about all this, but who’s that going to be? Half his friends are the people he needs to talk <em>about</em>. As for the other half... well, Tessa doesn't know anything about how this feels, and Silver would probably say something predictably antisocial like “feelings are for losers” and tell him to stop being a dork.<br/><br/>Not for the first time, Lucas wishes he had more friends.<br/><br/>He thinks about calling his dad, but really, how's that conversation going to go? “Hey Dad, how did you and Mom manage to end up together, just thought I’d ask, it’s not that I desperately need advice or anything but I might be kind of in love with my friends, help?”<br/><br/>Yeah, no. He sprawls back on the grass with a sigh, startling several of the Combee, who buzz off indignantly.<br/><br/>Any that remain are quick to follow once the unmistakable sound of Barry stomping his way through the trees rapidly approaches. Great.<br/><br/>“Yo, Lucas, how's the sciencing going? What's up?”<br/><br/>“...Hexagons,” says Lucas, for lack of a better answer.<br/><br/>Barry nods as if he understands completely, picking up the notebook. “Those are some seriously cool sketches!” He squints at the messy handwriting. “Does that say something about whirlwinds and... Sudowoodo?”<br/><br/>“It's nothing!” Lucas says much too quickly, snatching his notes back. Hopefully that panicked reaction won't even register for Barry, who lives in a state of perpetual quickness.<br/><br/>Any response Barry might have had is derailed by Dawn emerging from the trees. For a moment the three pause, staring at each other -- but it's just a moment, and Dawn is the one to break it.<br/><br/>“I thought I'd try making a berry sauce over the campfire to go with the biscuits, seeing as we won't make it to the city today,” she says with that little spark she gets in her eyes whenever she talks about baking. “Anyone willing to help gather berries? If you can take a break from your research, of course, Lucas.”<br/><br/>“My break is being taken!” he says, gesturing to the fact that he is currently lying on the ground with no Combee in sight. “Uh, I mean you're not interrupting, not that I want to continue taking my break this way. I mean, I want to help.” He cringes.<br/><br/>“Let me help you up, then,” Barry says, reaching out a hand. Lucas stares at him incredulously before holding out his own hand to let Barry pull him up, screaming internally, hardly breathing, desperately hoping that his hands aren't sweating too much. And of <em>course</em> he trips on the way up, stumbles, and --<br/><br/>And Dawn is right there, grabbing his other arm, steadying him, and he forgets how to breathe entirely.<br/><br/>“Guess we'd better get going before it gets dark,” Dawn says after a very long second passes while they're both still touching Lucas despite him being firmly on his feet. As soon as they let go, Lucas scoops up his notebook and clutches it to his chest, feeling his heart pound against it.<br/><br/>Is this really happening? Their hands have touched plenty of times before, but there was always a <em>reason</em> -- like every time Barry tries to drag him somewhere, or when he’s helping Dawn with the baking and she guides him through a complicated technique, and of course whenever he's panicking about something and they need to reassure him, gods, how annoying must that be for them -- and he's pretty sure there’s no good reason this time, because it's not like he doesn't know how to get off the ground himself! Barry didn't have to help him up, and Dawn didn't have to be right there. Does it mean they... no, of course it doesn't, why would they feel anything for <em>him</em> when they have each other? He's reading too much into this.<br/><br/>But they didn't <em>have</em> to do it…<br/><br/>“Aren't you coming?” Barry calls. Lucas’ head snaps up, and he realizes that his feet have been frozen in place this whole time. Barry and Dawn are waiting for him at the edge of the trees, both looking back as if somehow, they can't go on without him.<br/><br/>“Yes,” he says, and follows.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ah, I love writing Lucas. For those of you who remember him from The Phoenix, this takes place... a year or two later, maybe? I'm still trying to figure out the timeline stuff. And yes, he actually did manage to become friends with Silver, haha. And also somehow managed to find himself TWO love interests...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Tessa & Gary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here's a typical scene with my favourite aroace scientist and her disaster bi best friend! I actually wanted to write something like this last year, since it takes place before The Phoenix, but I never got around to it. Heck, I barely got around to it this year! It's not as polished as I'd like it to be, but it's here. Also it was supposed to be a lot shorter but I got very carried away, which I should really have learned to expect by now when I'm writing these two! Contains some fairly vague spoilers for The Scientist <s>and excessive amounts of silly banter and shenanigans</s></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After a long day of gym battles, Gary is always <em>extremely</em> thankful for teleportation. Just one quick flash of green is all it takes for Simon to send him back home to Pallet. Materializing right on the living room couch, he flops down with a sigh of relief.<br/><br/>The other occupant of the couch is not thrilled about this.<br/><br/>“What the hell?” Tessa shrieks, instinctively leaping to her feet. “You have <em>got</em> to stop doing that!” Ever unflappable, Laurel just opens one eye and frowns in disapproval from where she's sprawled out on the floor.<br/><br/>(<em>I do apologize,</em>) Gary's Alakazam says. (<em>For the record, I am constantly trying to convince him that the front door is a much more appropriate place to show up.</em>)<br/><br/>“But it's a less comfortable one,” Gary argues. “Thanks for the lift, Simon.” He pulls out the Alakazam’s Pokeball, recalling him for a rest, before turning to Tessa. “Besides, it's my house, and my couch, and you're almost never in this exact spot at the exact moment that I get home.”<br/><br/>“Scaring me to death even a handful of times is too many times,” she mutters, flopping back down on the couch. “One of these days I'm going to make sure there's nothing but empty floor in this spot before you get here.”<br/><br/>He ignores the empty threat as his eyes are drawn to the TV screen, where Morty's Haunter is hovering. “Johto? Really?”<br/><br/>She shrugs. “I'm going to be there soon enough. Might as well familiarize myself with their league.”<br/><br/>“What, watching my battles isn't good enough for you?” he says with mock hurt, trying to bury the genuine stab of pain he feels at the thought of her leaving again. This past year hasn't been an easy one, but it’s started to feel like old times with the two of them hanging out here in Pallet Town, and he doesn't want it to end.<br/><br/>“It’s more fun watching trainers who I <em>haven't</em> beaten.” Tessa grins, not taking her eyes off the TV.<br/><br/>“Are you sure you don't mean trainers who haven't beaten <em>you</em>? I seem to remember winning the two battles we had yesterday.”<br/><br/>“I seem to remember winning the championship battle.”<br/><br/>Gary groans. “Why do you always have to bring that up?”<br/><br/>“You started it!”<br/><br/>Laurel snorts.<br/><br/>She pokes the Venusaur with her foot. “We’re not being childish! Go back to sleep.”<br/><br/>“Rough day at the lab?” Gary asks sympathetically, eyeing the tired starter.<br/><br/>“The latest batch of Bulbasaur are growing up fast. She's got her vines full teaching them.” Tessa sighs. “I think my day was worse, considering that a couple of the Charmander thought it would be funny to set all my notes on fire.”<br/><br/>He winces. “Yeah, they tend to do that.”<br/><br/>“Oh? No comment about how only <em>really skilled</em> trainers can raise Charmander? I'm surprised.”<br/><br/>“You said it, not me.”<br/><br/>Laurel laughs, and Tessa pokes her again. “Traitor.”<br/><br/>“You're doing fine, really. Gramps says you're one of the best interns he's had.”<br/><br/>“Yeah, well, I think he's biased. I just hope Elm’s starters are easier to get along with.”<br/><br/>Gary feels that stab again. “Well, I'll make sure to teleport into the middle of the lab and find out how you’re doing on a regular basis. If they can handle the startle better than you, I'd say they're doing pretty well.”<br/><br/>“I wish you could,” she says quietly. “But that's a round trip, and takes up a lot of energy for an Alakazam who needs to battle on a regular basis. Same with flying there on Ash. And I won't be able to come back to Pallet absolutely any time I want, especially if Maren’s staying here. I'm going to miss all of you.”<br/><br/>“You don't have to go,” he says, although he knows she can’t stay here forever.<br/><br/>She knows it, too. “I can't stay here. I need a job, not an internship. I hate that I'm even taking up an intern spot when so many people are trying to get into this lab. And that I'm taking up space in your house. It's better that I get out there and do something more, even if it's hard. I've always wanted to spend some time in Johto, anyway.” She sounds like she's trying to convince herself.<br/><br/>“You know we love to have you stay here. We've got plenty of space.” The house feels so big and empty when it's just him and Gramps, no matter how many Pokemon are in it.<br/><br/>She raises an eyebrow. “The amount of times you terrorize me with teleportation and other assorted shenanigans suggests otherwise.”<br/><br/>“Oh! Speaking of shenanigans…” Gary digs in his pocket, remembering what he'd shoved in there on his way out of the gym.<br/><br/>Tessa eyes him with suspicion. “Oh, gods, don't tell me they're at it again.”<br/><br/>He fishes out a crumpled piece of paper, smooths away the wrinkles, and hands it to her. “Here. Figured you'd get a laugh out of this. Or maybe a shriek of horror. Either way, one of us will be entertained.”<br/><br/>“Don't people have anything better to do with their lives?” she laments, staring at the tabloid. <b>LINDEN AND OAK ROMANCE CONTINUING TO BLOSSOM? </b>the headline dares to ask. Underneath is a blurry picture of the two of them at a recent League party, their hands touching. “Wait, wasn't that the moment you were reaching for Simon’s Pokeball because Sabrina was implying that her Alakazam was better than yours, and you were about to fight her in the middle of a crowded room, so I slapped your hand away and told you not to make a fool of yourself? Because that was <em>real</em>, and had way more interesting story potential than this garbage.”<br/><br/>“I would have won that fight, you know,” he says defensively.<br/><br/>“That's not my point and you know it!” Tessa re-crumples the paper and launches it at him. At least, he assumes that’s where she was aiming, because it lands on the floor. “Here, get Ash to burn this. Or add it to the “hilariously inaccurate reporting” section of your “ooh look I'm a famous gym leader and people write about me” scrapbook.”<br/><br/>Gary grins. “Which one? I'm so famous, I'm soon going to need a whole library for all my scrapbooks.”<br/><br/>She picks up the paper and throws it at him again, laughing. It sails over the top of the couch, and they exchange a brief glance before mutually deciding it's not worth getting up to retrieve it.<br/><br/>With a sigh, Tessa leans back and kicks her feet up on the coffee table. “But seriously, what is wrong with these people? What part of “asexual and aromantic” do they not understand?”<br/><br/>“Probably all of it, knowing society. Or they just don't care, because they're only in it for the money and attention.”<br/><br/>Tessa sighs again. “I guess I shouldn't expect anything different. Everyone's always saying stuff like “oh, you're still young, you’ll meet somebody someday” and nonsense like that.” She makes a face. “And okay, maybe I will! I doubt it, but even if I do, that doesn't change how I feel <em>now</em>, and how I feel now is that I never want a relationship. Because it's not as if I've ever been obsessed with anyone like you are with Lance.”<br/><br/>Gary folds his arms. “Hey! I'm not <em>obsessed</em>, you're making it sound creepy. And I was going to say something nice and supportive, because I am a good friend, but you're making it very difficult right now.”<br/><br/>“Well, it's the thought that counts, so I appreciate your original thought of being supportive. I also appreciate the opportunity to make fun of you! It’s a win-win situation, really.”<br/><br/>“Speaking of winning, remember yesterday when I won those two --”<br/><br/>Clearly out of clever comebacks, she chooses to interrupt him by whacking him with a pillow. He's quick to respond in kind, and soon everything dissolves into chaos and laughter until Laurel retaliates for her sleep being disturbed by yanking the couch cushions out from underneath them with her vines.<br/><br/>“Anyway,” Tessa says once order has been restored to the couch and Laurel has given up the idea of sleeping outside her Pokeball. “I just don't know why the media wants to focus on fiction like that when there are actual romance-related things going on. They'd at least leave <em>me</em> alone if you talk about your gigantic crush on Lance.”<br/><br/>“I can't do that!” Gary yelps, nearly falling off the couch. “Especially because he's my boss now! It would make things awkward.”<br/><br/>“Right, because you're never awkward around him <em>now</em>.”<br/><br/>“I'm not awkward,” Gary says, even as every single interaction he's ever had with Lance flashes through his mind with cringe-worthy detail. “I'm just... not as cool as him. Because it's not possible for anyone else to be that cool. Not even me.”<br/><br/>“Mhm,” she says, clearly unconvinced, but mercifully deciding to drop it anyway. “You realize that if I go to Johto and we do manage to visit each other all the time, that's going to give them no end of material to work with?”<br/><br/>“You're not saying that we shouldn't visit --”<br/><br/>“Of course I'm not! Just be prepared for a lot more of this nonsense.”<br/><br/>Gary shrugs. “We can handle it. It's actually kind of a nice change, don’t you think? At least we can laugh about <em>these</em> articles.”<br/><br/>“Yeah,” she says quietly. “They still write about the other stuff, but at least now there's all this nonsensical fluff to balance it out. And also the rare stories that are purely about our successes and don't have any of the “after overcoming <em>scandal</em> and <em>tragedy</em>” overdrama that they like to shove in there.”<br/><br/>“There's more of those nice ones than you might think. Enough to fill several scrapbooks,” Gary says, trying to make the mood light again.<br/><br/>“Wait, do you <em>actually</em> have scrapbooks? I was joking when I mentioned that!”<br/><br/>“...Maybe.”<br/><br/>Tessa looks at him, trying to gauge if he's serious or not. He stares back with his best poker face.<br/><br/>“Well, if they do exist, do your best to fill them up with all your accomplishments. Because I'm going to Johto, and I'm going to visit you as much as I can, so you'd better give them plenty of things to write about that don't involve me.”<br/><br/>“Only if <em>you</em> accomplish as much as you can when you're in Johto. Raise a starter that turns out to win someone a championship. Better yet, go win it yourself.”<br/><br/>She snorts. “Me? One championship was enough. I'm just going for lab work and you know it.”<br/><br/>He shrugs. “Fine. Doom yourself to romantic tabloid articles forever. See if I care.”<br/><br/>“You do care.”<br/><br/>“I do,” he agrees, slowly sliding sideways until he's leaning against her shoulder, because damn it, he's going to miss having moments like this. Again. “Apparently many people don't understand that caring is not exclusive to romance, but I will continue caring anyway even though you are a terrible friend who is a sore loser and hits me with pillows. It's baffling, really.”<br/><br/>“I'll miss you, Gary,” she says softly. “Even though you're a terrible friend who pesters me with teleporting and magazine articles and general obnoxiousness.”<br/><br/>“<em>General obnoxiousness</em>?”<br/><br/>“I think the words you're looking for are “I’ll miss you too”.”<br/><br/>“You're not going to the moon or anything, you know. You'll literally be in the closest Johto town to here. We have phones and Pokemon and -- yes, okay, I'll miss you too.” It's not like when she moved to Celadon, not like when she barely talked to him for five years, but that still doesn't mean it won't be hard to go from a whole year of living together to a possibly infinite amount of time of <em>not</em> doing that.<br/><br/>“I'm not leaving for a while yet, anyway,” she promises, her eyes drifting back to the TV, which is now showing a battle with Chuck. “I have to brush up on my Johto knowledge first. Some of the most successful trainers over there have Elm’s starters, so I've been keeping an eye on the matches. I need to know how well-trained Johto starters operate.”<br/><br/>“Sounds like a good excuse for sitting around and watching TV all day.” Sometimes Gary thinks that she'd never go anywhere if he didn't push her. And he <em>does</em> push her, because as much as he’d rather she stayed, he doesn't want to be responsible for her being stuck here for the rest of her life.<br/><br/>“It's not <em>all</em> day. Just the end of the day, after hours of running after mischievous starters.” She frowns. “Why do I want to keep doing this, again?”<br/><br/>“Because it's a good job, and you have a natural talent for it?”<br/><br/>“I don't, really.”<br/><br/>“You<em> do</em>!” Gary insists. “The starters love you. Trust me, a disapproving Charmander will set fire to more than just your notes. You're going to do great in Johto, I know it.”<br/><br/>“...Well, thanks,” Tessa says after a moment, only sounding half convinced. Maybe it’s time to change the subject.<br/><br/>“Seriously, I think it's the career path you need to take.” He grins wickedly. “Especially since you've been developing a horrible losing streak as a trainer.”<br/><br/>“Don’t make me hit you with this pillow again.” She's smiling, though.<br/><br/>He shakes his head dramatically. “Again, I try to be a nice supportive friend and this is the thanks I get!”<br/><br/>“I’ll thank you if you shut up and let me watch TV in peace so I can be prepared for this job you think I'll actually be good at.”<br/><br/>“Only if the shutting up doesn't extend to my insightful and helpful commentary on the matches, as a gym leader.”<br/><br/>“I'll consider it.”<br/><br/>“How generous of you.”<br/><br/>An entire battle goes by in silence before Tessa turns to him and says “Thank you.”<br/><br/>“For shutting up?”<br/><br/>“For everything.”<br/><br/>“Oh,” Gary says self-consciously. “I didn't actually mean that you had to thank --”<br/><br/>“I mean it, though.” She pauses for a moment, as if she's thinking of all the things she might want to say and then deciding that they're better left unsaid because they both know what she means. She nudges his shoulder instead. “You're the best terrible friend I've ever had.”<br/><br/>He returns the gesture. “Same to you.”<br/><br/>Yes, he's going to miss this.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Writing these two is like constantly flipping a switch between silly and sad until I die from all the conflicting emotions, but I love it. I'm not 100% happy with this and it definitely suffers from I-don't-know-how-to-end-short-things syndrome, but I had a lot of fun with it and I'm just glad I got it finished-ish.</p>
<p>Anyway, this takes place roughly a year after The Scientist and two years before The Phoenix. It was fun to jump back in time to when things were a bit more lighthearted! At least they get to spend more time together in the future...</p>
<p>And that's all I've got for you this year! I wanted to have a lot more stuff to post, but it just didn't work out... I have lots of half-finished things and ideas, though, so that should mean more next year!</p>
<p>Also, I wrote a short piece for my PMD story! You can check it out <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24919717">here</a>. I made it a separate thing because it's not part of my nuzlocke universe, but I recommend reading it anyway because it's my favourite thing I wrote for Pride this year!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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